Since 2007, I have been talking about the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts in warehouses inside and outside the U. S. borders. Canada has been an early adopter, especially the Walmart distribution centers in Western part of this country.
In the city of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada (on the Eastern side of our neighbors to the north) the Supply Chain Management (SCM) warehouse will soon undergo a transformation, kicking out the old technology (batteries) and ringing in the new technology of hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts. This supply center will follow the model established by the Walmart center in Alberta, Canada that has been running fully on H2 forklifts for some time now.
Virginia Garbutt, logistics director for Walmart explained that “… over the coming weeks, the entire fleet that flows in and out of the SCM center in the city’s industrial park will be replaced by hydrogen-powered trucks. The change is expected to reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiencies.”
So, there you have it. Once again, hydrogen forklifts are starting to spread across North America like wildfire because the benefits to business and to the environment are too many to ignore. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll realize that hydrogen forklifts are the first hydrogen vehicles to be produced and sold commercially, creating good jobs along the way. The only downside is that this Occupy Walmart movement for fuel cell forklifts could spread a little faster. But, with Fortune 500 business leaders on board, it is only a matter of time until other businesses do as the low cost leader does, using new technology to save money and reduce indoor air pollution.